Building the Valley: New concept in vet care, Pets After Dark, founded by Fox Chapel couple

It’s a problem that too many pet parents are familiar with — what to do when your four-legged friend is sick or injured after office hours.

“The options are either go to the emergency room and wait for hours or take a chance to get them seen the next day,” said Fox Chapel resident Howard Swimmer.

“It’s nerve-wracking. All you want is for someone to tell you what’s happening. My dog has a wound. Is it infected? My senior cat is in decline. Does she need to be seen immediately?”

Swimmer and his wife, veterinarian Caroline Simard-Swimmer, have developed a new concept to help alleviate worries and provide patients with one-on-one expertise.

Pets After Dark is a subscription service that provides telehealth care recommendations during evenings and weekends.

It connects animal owners to their own vet or a local physician who has access to their pet’s medical records.

Subscribers can call to describe their pet’s issue and an on-call vet electronically pulls up the records, conducts an audio or video consultation and makes a recommendation.

A highlight of the program is that it guarantees an in-office appointment with the subscriber’s regular vet the next business day, if necessary.

“It gave me terrible discomfort to know people weren’t being supported overnight,” said Simard-Swimmer, a longtime physician at Point Breeze Veterinary Clinic. “I like the community outreach aspect of this, the humanity.”

Pets After Dark, launched in January, continues to compile a list of on-call vets from across the region. So far, there is a network of staff from Wexford to Pittsburgh’s East End to Blairsville. The network includes about 20 vets.

Christie Schroth, an associate vet at Point Breeze Veterinary Clinic, has joined the effort.

“There have been countless times in my career, from years ago when people would look up my number in the phone book and call me after hours, to more recently with clients sending me a message on Facebook or finding my email through a mutual friend, where I am asked questions off the clock,” Schroth said.

In addition to providing peace of mind for pet owners, the program gives Schroth a more predictable quality of life, she said.

“When I am on-call, I am working,” she said.

When she’s off, there are alternate professionals available.

She believes the program provides a continuity of care because call-takers can access specific records and connect with the family’s regular vet.

“Clients also are able to talk to a vet they know and trust versus using Google to find answers,” Schroth said.

Simard-Swimmer said the initiative was born out of covid-era pressures.

“Everyone was at home adopting more animals, noticing more illness during the day that they wouldn’t usually be,” she said.

“The strains started being felt acutely in the veterinary field across the world.”

The challenges remain, she said.

“We field calls every night and talk to other vets that are all in the same boat,” Swimmer said.

“Anyone can pay a fee for an online vet portal, but, with this service, we reach out to your vet office and keep your records so we are familiar with your pet.”

Aside from medical expertise, Pets After Dark can be a resource for new pet owners.

“Things come about that you’re not sure what to do,” Swimmer said. “My dog got into medication. Are they fine to get through the night?

“A real-time look at the pet, along with advice from a vet, is nice.”

A Pets After Dark subscription costs $100 per month, with a 12-month commitment. There is a discount for paying for the whole year upfront. One subscription covers all the pets in a house.

Simard-Swimmer said she hopes to eliminate stress through her service.

“No more wondering or guessing about a pet’s symptoms via the web, no more late-night visits to emergency clinics for what often turns out to be nonemergency treatment,” she said. “Most importantly, no more feeling alone.”